Smiling To Myself

This morning, after waking from a dream about earthquakes and dance parties, I found myself again on the subway, wearing my bright orange corduroy leggings and swinging a little bit around the subway pole, lip-syncing to Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. I'd just kicked my way through the snow, letting the flakes fall on my lashes, breathing into my scarf until it was wet with exhales, thinking that life is pretty good. Commuters were commiserating; the train was fast and mostly empty.

And I was lip-syncing.

The idea started to creep into my head that I might look a bit silly lip-syncing in public, in my bright orange pants. I quickly pursed my lips and looked around the train. My eye found a girl a few doors down, wrapped up warm in brown wool, lip-syncing to her iPod, swaying side to side and smiling to herself.

She looks happy, I thought. And there ain't nothing wrong with happy.

(Mouthing their words makes me smile: Capybara - The Wimp, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home, Todd Rundgren - Love Of The Common Man)

© Zan McQuade. All rights reserved.